In current times, the use of technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality has rapidly increased in applications like gaming, education, healthcare, and so forth. This in turn, has increased exposure of people to such technologies. Typically, such technologies present a simulated environment, often known as ‘virtual reality’ to a user. Generally, the user uses a device or an apparatus, such as a virtual reality device or an augmented reality device, for experiencing such simulated environment. Usually, these devices are located close to the eyes, and are known, for example, as near-eye displays (NED) or head mounted displays (HMD). Commonly, such devices either have one or two small displays, lenses and other optical elements therein. The displays and optics are typically embedded in a helmet, glasses, or a visor, and the user wears the device on their head in order to have a simulated environment presented thereto. Moreover, the devices provide the user with a feeling of immersion in the simulated environment, using contemporary techniques such as stereoscopy.
However, conventional devices have certain drawbacks, for example, viewing comfort for a user. Ordinarily, a visual scene of the simulated environment is rendered at a fixed optical distance. Such rendering forces the user's brain to unnaturally adapt to conflicting focus cues, such as focus cues associated with physical distance of the display from the user's eyes and focus cues associated with the fixed optical distance of the visual scene within the simulated environment. Furthermore, viewing such visual scene rendered at the fixed optical distance may contribute to occurrence of vergence-accommodation conflict for eyes of the user. Additionally, such rendering reduces a feeling of immersion for the user within the simulated environment and may also lead to visual fatigue for the user. Such visual fatigue for some users can even cause serious side-effects long after cessation of using the device.
Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with rendering of a visual scene in a simulated environment of the conventional virtual and augmented reality devices.